Retaining device for bottle-stoppers



(No Model.) l

l J. J. SANDS.

RBTAINING DBVIGE POR BOTTLE STOPPBRS. No. 413,970. Patented 001;. 29, 1889` N. PETERS, PiwwLhhub-n-r, wn-hingmn. D, C.

i y and a hanged plate whichis interposed be- To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Q y y UNITED STATE-'sf PATENT OFFICE,

.IoSIAS I. SANDS, or MERfroN, WISCONSIN.

RETAINING `DEVICE- FIOR BOTTLE-STOPPERS.-

SPECIFIIICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 413,970, dated October 29, 1889.

Application filed May 13, 1889. Serial No. 310,604. (No model.)

' Be it known that I, J OsIAs J. SANDS, of Merton, in the county of Waukesha and State of Wisconsin, have invented -certain new and useful `Improvements in Retaining Devices forvBottle-Stoppers; and l do hereby declare `that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of `reference marked thereon,\which form apart of this specification.` i y This invention relates to an improvement in devices for retaining- Stoppers in bottles and other vessels; and it consists, primarily, in a cork or stopper holding bar which is engaged with a groove in theorifice to be stopped,

l Vtween the stopper and the holding-bar and by .y of a bottle-neck provided-with my improved f y stopper-holding device. Fig. 21s a yplan view `its rigidity actsto transmit the upward pressure of the stopper to the ends 'of the holdingbar, so that possibility is avoided of any upward pressure coming on the middley part of the holding-bar, such aslwouldflex the same,

and thus disengageits ends from the groove.

In they accompanying,drawings,which Illustrate yseveral forms l in which my invention of the parts shown in Figi-lf.'V Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the'holdinglbar before insertion in the bottle-neck. Fig. yicis a perspectiveview of the flanged plate; Fig. 5 is a sectionalview of a bottle-neck containing a stopper-holding device generally similar lto that showni in Fig. lhbut having an arched holding-bar, Fig. 6 is a-plan view of the parts shown in Fig.v5. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the arched holding-bar removed from the bottle-neck. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the hanged plate shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the holding-bar and flanged plate,taken` upon-line 9 9 of Fig. 6.A Fig. lO is a perspective view of the holdingbar and'flanged plate when placed together in readiness for insertion in the bottle-neck. Fig. 1l is a sectionalview showing my inven-` 1 tion as applied to a different form of 'bottleneck from that illustrated in Fig. l.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. l to 4. will irst be described. f In said figures,

A is the bottle-neck, of which a is the orifice to be stopped. Near the top of the oriiice is located an annulaishoulder a', which forms the upper wall of an annular groove a2, the lower wall of which is formed by an inclined or beveled surface a3. The part of the oriice below the groove a2 is smaller than that above said groove, as clearly shown in the drawings. While a continuous or annular shoulder a. is usually preferred, short opposite shoulders may be employed in proper position to engage with the ends of 'the stopper-holding device. Bis a cork or stopper inserted in the bottle-neck with its top'somewhat below the groove a2. sheet-metal holding-bar having iat ends c c, adapted to enter the groove a? and to hold the stopper from outward movement by engagement with 'the' shoulder a. The holding-bar C after insertion is flat or straight, as shownin Fig. l; but before insertion it is bent into curved or arched form, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to shorten it or bring its ends together Asufliciently to allow them to pass-the.. Vshoulder ct. D is a metal bar or plate, which vislocated beneath the holding-bar, said plate being made ofproper length to pass freely D through the partofrthe vessel-orifice above-- 8.0:?. mi its central part with parallel side edges, and has upwardly-extending iianges d d, a main;

the groove a2.' The said plate is made fiat-'iny purpose of which is to '"give longitudinal stiness to the plate. The ends of said iianges cl d are flush with the ends of the plate, and are located adjacent to or nearly in contact with the shoulder ct when the plate is dropped into the bottle-neck, so that they serve to center or hold from longitudinal displacement the said plate. Said plate is preferably made of such length and thickness, furthermore,

thatwhen inserted above the cork its ends will rest upon the beveled surface a3 of the bottle-neck and sustain the ends of the at holding-bar resting on its `top surface in position to enter the groove a2 beneath the shoulder a in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. When the bottle-neck is provided Witha beveled surface a3 and said plate D is constructed to engage the same in the manner described, the Said plate D acts in the same manner as the -supporting-plate described and claimed IOO in a separate application, Serial No. 310,605, filed simultaneously herewith.

In inserting the parts of the holder made as above described, the cork B is first forced into the orifice a until its top is below the groove a2, the supporting-plate D is then dropped into the neck over the cork with its ends resting upon the beveled surface a3, and the holding bar C, in bent form, is then placed upon the supporting-plate between the flanges thereof, and afterward pressed downwardly at its middle part, so as to flatten out the bar and expand the ends thereof into engagement with t-he groove. After the insertion of the parts in this manner upward pressure of the cork against the supporting-plate is trans# nlitted solely to the ends of the holding-bar adjacent tothe points at which the 4saine are engaged with the shoulder a', any bending o1' upward flexure ofthe supporting-platebeing prevented by the flanges d d thereof, which give a greatdegree of rigidity to the same. The holding device thus constructed is ref,l

movedby pulling outwardly or lifting the central part of the holding-bar, soas `tobend the saine lat lits middleand to withdraw its ends vfrom engagement with the groove of the bottle-neck. -To enable such upward bendingor fleXure of theholding-bar tobe easily accomplished, I make the same narrower in its middlepart than elsewhere, as clearly shown in the drawings, andprovide the snpporting-plate with a central vaperture d. When the parts are *thus* constructed, a

pointed Kimplement may .be easily inserted beneath thecentral part of the holding-hanf and the latter removed either by a direct upward pull or by prying the center of the holding-bar upwardly, with ,the implement resting on one 'ofi the.- flanges d ofthe supportingplate as a -fnlcrunt It will ybe obvious that when the holding-bar is perfect-ly flat, as shown in Fig. I ,the presence of the aperture d in the supporting-plate is .desirable in order to enable the pointed implementto be easily inserted beneath the centerofthe holdin g-bar.

I willnext describe the form o f Atheinvention shown in Figs. 5 to 10. In these figures the orifice a is provided with abeveled surface a3, and the holding-bar is made of arched form and is similar to the holding-bar illus;

manner as shown in Figs. II to 4 and herein-` befoie described, consisting of a flat central part and upturnedumarginal flanges d d. The holding-bar `is preferablymade origi nally of the'wsh'ape shown in Fig. 7, withitsv flat ends downwardly inclined and its arched` portion :normally contracted sufciently 'to enable the holding-bar to freely enter the bottle-neck above the groove. The ends of the holding-bar are engaged with the groove by 'pressing downwardly upon the central arched part of the bar when the ends thereof are resting against the supporting-plate, so as to flatten the arched part, and thus lengthen the bar until its ends fully enter the groove.

For convenience in handling and inserting the holder made as last above described, I preferably make the flanges d d of the supporting-plate slightly oblique or inwardly inclined, as clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 9, and I also make the arched holding-bar narrower at itsmiddle part than at its ends, and inclined or beveled at its side margins in such manner that when bent into shape to enter the bottle-neck its end portions will fit within the inclined flanges d d, as clearly shown 'in Fig. `9, the engaging-surfaces of the holding! bar and supporting-plate having the general forinof a dovetailed tongue and groove. The

as a single vpiece anddrop them together into.

the, bottle-neck,,therebyavoiding ,the waste of time necessary to place theparts separately in `the bottleneckand in proper position with.l reference to each other.. Afte r,the. support ing-platev and holding-bar aredropped in to.

place Qverthe cork, withfhe ends ofthe sup.

IOO

porting-plate resting upon the beveled vsurface a3, the holding bar can be easily and quickly engaged with the, groove by `pressing downwardly upon the central or archedpart of the bar by a suitable .toolorimplernent Commonlythe archedpart of the bar willbe so proportioned in height to thewidth of the flanges. d Cl ,that .when the bar isexpanded the top of the arch will come Aapproximately in line with the upper edges 0f. thesaid flanges.,

. which time. the ends of the holding-bar will have lproperly` entered the groove.

l `T he central part of the arched holding-,bar

(shown in Figs, 5 tol) is inadesornewhat nar,-

rower thanthe distance -between the flanges d d, Asothat a hookor the point of a straight prying-implement may be easily inserted beneaththe central part of the bar for extracting the same. In ycase the holding-ban'when inserted, projects somewhat above the upperedges of said flanges, a. hook. or pointed implement may be easily inserted beneath the v arch even thoughithecentral part of the same is made of the full width of the space between ythe flanges.

As far as the main feature of construction herem described is concerned-namely, the

l cation, Serial N o. 310,603, also filed simulta- V plate provided with upturned flanges at its edges-said plate may either be arranged to 1V engage the beveled surface of the bottle-neck below the `groove in the manner above defscribed or it may be used in connection with a bottle-'neck which is of the same diameter `above and below the groove. In the latter case the supporting-plate may be sustained at the timeof expanding the holding-bar by resting upon the cork so as to sustain the ends of theholding-bar opposite the groove; or a pressing deviceV may be4 used to force down the said plate with the cork at the time of eX- Mpanding the holding-bar in the manner illustrated and claimed in another separate applineously herewith. A construction of the parts w I v is illustrated in Fig. ll, in which the engagement of the plateD with a beveled shoulder i `2O of the bottle-neckis not relied upon to sustain the ends of the holding-bar opposite the groove. In this figure the orifice a of the bottle-ne`ck is made of the same size above and below the groove a2, andthe supporting-plate D is made of proper sizev or length to freely 1 enter the orifice.

` The employment of'- the flanged plate has the advantages of giving great stiffness and strength to the holdingdevices to withstand 30. ing the ends of the flangesof proper length i to engage the inner surface of the bottle-neckv i the plate is caused to center itself Without troublein inserting it.

upward pressure from the cork,while by mak- The `particular construction shown in Figs. 5 to lO'is of great "advantage, furthermore, inasmuch as it enables the parts to be` prepared in readiness for. insertion before being applied to the bottleneck, while at the same time greatly facilitating the operation of insertingthe holder at the time of'corking the bottle.

\ `It will of vcourse be understood thatv any suitable tool or implement may be employed `for applying pressure to the holding-bar for elongating the same. p Y The invention 4is herein illustrated in its application to bottles but obviously it may be applied tothe orifices of other vessels of -groove and a plate having upturned lateral flanges interposed between the holding-bar and stopper, said flanges being made of such length as to come into contact with the inner surface of the orifice,.subsiantially as described.

3. The combination, with the walls of a-vessel-orifice having an internal groove, and with a stopper in the orifice, of a flexible metal holding-bar engaged at its ends with said groove and a plate having upturned lateral flanges interposed between` the holding-bar and stopper, said flanges being inwardly inclined, and the holding-bar being of arched form and beveled at its sides to fit within said fianges, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the walls of a ves- ,sel-orifice'having an internal groove, and with a stopper in the orifice, of a flat flexible metal holding-bar engaged at its ends with said groove, and a flanged plate interposed be-v tween the holding-bar and stopper, said plate being apertured to allow the insertion of a lifting-tool beneath the center of the bar, substantially as described.

.In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSIAS J. SANDS.

Witnesses: 0. CLARENCE POOLE,

HARRY COBB KENNEDY. 

